Car-coupling



(No Model.)

' E. K. OBER.

GAR GOUPLING.

" NO. 539,638. Patented May 21, 1895.

F 092 I ..W

d'azataai UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDW'ARD K. OBER, OFHOOVERSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

srnorrrcn'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 539,638, dated May 21, 1 895.

Application filed March 28, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD K. OBER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hooversville, in the county of Somerset and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in car-couplings of the twin-j aw and arrow-head link type, the object of the same being to provide a coupling of improved construction which is closed bya spring and opened by a lever pivoted to the drawhead and connected to links which are attached to the forward ends'of the coupling jaws so that when the outer end of the lever is moved forwardly the coupling jaws will be separated to permit the withdrawal of the link, the jaws being normally held together by a spring which also acts upon the lever.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan view of a car-coupling constructed in accordance with my invention, the top or covering plate of the draw-head being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the coupling-jaws detached.

A designates the drawhead which is attached to the car in any suitable manner; this drawhead being of the box type, and to the same is pivoted by means of bolts a a the coupling jaws B B. The ends of the bolts a a are connected to each other by flat cross-bars b b which are provided centrally with an aperture 1) through which passesa bolt 12 said bolt also passing through an eye in the forward end of a bar 13 which is suitably connected at its rear end to the drawhead or to the car.

The coupling jaws B B are drawn toward friction. cessed for the reception of the end portions $erlal No. 543,569. (No model.)

each other by a helical spring 0 the ends of which are attached to the jaws by means of clips d, the corners of the clips being rounded While the upper ends of each are connected by a suitable cross-piece which is held in place by nuts. The lower connecting portion of the clips serve as bearing surfaces for the jaws and move over the upper surface of the bottom of the drawhead to prevent undue The inner sides of the jaws are reof the springs against which the clips bear.

E designates a lever which is pivoted to one side of the drawhead A and passes through the opposite side, and this lever engages with a notch e in a plate 6 when moved forwardly a sufficient distance; The lever is connected to the front end of the jaws by means of links E which are pivoted to said jaws and converge rearwardly. The rear ends of the links lap and are pivotally connected to the lever on a line with the center of the drawhead.

The coupling-link is of the usual arrowhead type and has a central projecting portion which prevents the link being forced within the jaws beyond a certain distance.

In operation the cars will automatically couple as the arrow-head link will be pushed between the jaws opening them sufficiently to allow the head to be engaged thereby, the spring closing the jaws upon the link.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars it is only necessary to move the outer end of the lever far enough to engage the notch in the plate 6 which will separate the jaws to permit the withdrawal of the coupling-link. When the lever is released the jaws will be moved by the spring in position to automatically couple,the notch in the plate .e being'beyond the usual movement of the lever in coupling so as not to interfere with the same.

I am aware that prior to my invention it was not broadly new to provide a car-coupling with recessed jaws and arrow-head link, or to connect the jaws to a movable block which is operated by a lever which projects beyond one side of the drawhead, and I therefore do not claim such construction broadly;

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a car-coupling, the combination, of a drawhead having coupling jaws B B pivotally connected to the drawhead, bails or clips 61 connected to the jaws so that their lower connecting portions will bear upon the upper surface of the bottom of the drawhead, a spring 0 interposed between the jaws and connected thereto by the bails or clips, and a lever E pivoted to the drawhead at one end and connected to the forward ends of the jaws by means of links E, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination, of a drawhead constructed substantially as shown, coupling jaws B B pivotally attached at their rear ends to the drawhead the pivot bolts being connected to each other above and below the jaws by plates or cross-bars b b, the crossbars being centrally connected to a rearwardly-projeoting bar B together with a spring O attached to the jaws to draw them toward each other and a lever pivoted to the drawhead at one end and connected to the coupling jaws by links E, substantially as shown and for the purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a drawhead constructed substantially as shown and provided with a transverse bottom with bolt-holes, of

coupling jaws B B pivotally connected to the drawhead at their rear ends,a spring located between the coupling jaws and connected thereto so as to draw said jaws toward each other, links E connected to the forward ends of the coupling jaws and converging rearwardly, a lever E pivotally connected to the rear ends of the links, said lever being pivoted to one side of the drawhead, and a notched plate 8 secured to the other side of the drawhead so as to engage the lever when it is moved forward a sufficient distance, the parts being organized substantially as shown and adapted for use with a coupling-link of the arrow-head type.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD K. OBER. \V'itnesses:

S P. GEISEL, IRVIN P. DULL. 

